Draco was helping his father again, this time in the greenhouse, but he barely paid attention to what he was doing.

He was nervous. When he thought back to the night before, he cursed himself over and over again. Tomorrow? Why tomorrow? That only gave him a few hours to spare. How was he going to impress Astoria in just a few hours? He hadn't been able to sleep. He was elated and terrified. Astoria had told him she liked him, but she could change her mind if he didn't do things right. And he wanted to do things right. He didn't want to ruin their friendship or the relationship they had built.

He wanted to make her laugh; he wanted her to feel safe around him. He wanted to live up to her and be worthy of her.

I want that stupid mark to disappear from my arm forever.

Draco avoided looking at his left arm. It had become a sort of obsession, as if ignoring it would make the bruise go away. He finally had a chance to get his life back on track, to be happy. But a part of him was still stuck in the past. The same part that still had nightmares at night.

Draco didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to think about Astoria and the date they would have that afternoon. But to do that he needed to prepare something.

Ignoring his father's orders, Draco waved his wand, not really aware of what he was doing, more focused on his problem than anything else. A few years ago, his idea of an ideal date would have been to take the girl to an expensive and elegant place and pamper her with the most exclusive delicacies. But he couldn't do that with the heiress of the largest hotel chain in Europe, whose sister owned the best restaurants in the world.

Besides, he knew Astoria well enough to know that such a display wouldn't impress her.

"Draco, are you listening to me? You're damaging the orchids' roots," Lucius scolded him as he carefully removed the remains of bark that Draco had forced into the pots.

"I didn't notice," Draco pretended to be busy, but his father raised an eyebrow at him, studying his expression and posture.

"What's wrong? You're very distracted. Did something happen to you?" the concern in his voice made Draco lower his head, feeling guilty.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about... something else."

"Is it about that girl?" Draco looked at his father with panic in his eyes. How did he know? Was it that obvious? "Have you done something I should be worried about?"

"No! Of course not! What are you implying?" he instantly became defensive, but Lucius crossed his arms, leaning on the workbench.

"So, what's it about? What is the reason of that worried look on your face?"

Draco hesitated, not knowing what to do. He had never talked to Lucius about such things. He was his father! How could he tell him that he liked Astoria and that he had thrown himself headlong into a problem he didn't know how to solve? But on the other hand, Lucius had managed to make Narcissa fall in love with him and make her remain unwaveringly loyal to him during the most terrible years of their marriage. And after all, their parents were still together, and not precisely because they did not have the opportunity to separate.

"I asked her out," he admitted through clenched teeth. Lucius's eyebrows rose a few millimeters higher.

"Really?"

"This isn't funny," Draco growled, feeling his face flush. "I need to plan something for this afternoon and I don't know what to do."

Lucius stifled a laugh, and with the aid of his staff he stirred up the remains of bark that were scattered across the ground.

"Maybe you could take her to Orchab Garden," he suggested.

"Isn't that a botanical garden?" Draco asked mockingly.

"That's where I proposed to your mother," Lucius replied, without looking at him, with a defensive tone in his voice. "But of course, you can also take her to the usual trendy restaurants, but your friend might already know them."

"I'll think about it," Draco muttered, ducking his head before turning away. He needed to write to Astoria to let her know the new plan.

"Don't wear those robes, you know the ones I'm talking about. They make you look very serious," Draco didn't turn around, but he could guess the mocking expression in his father's voice. Without deigning to answer, he continued walking away, but before leaving he could hear Lucius' last words.

"Good luck."

OOO

Draco looked at himself in the mirror, undecided on what to wear. His father was right, his favorite robes were too serious for a casual mid-afternoon date. The minutes passed without any help, but he still couldn't make up his mind. At this rate, he was going to be late.

"You should wear the blue one," Draco started as he heard his mother's voice, who was smiling at him from the doorway. "And don't button it up. I've seen that's the fashion among young men."

Draco complied, knowing that any help was welcome, and hurried to finish getting ready.

"You don't need to comb your hair so much," his mother scolded him when she saw him running the brush through his hair again, flattening it back as usual. "It makes you look very serious."

"Mother, that's enough," he protested, trying to escape. But Narcissa was quicker and ruffled his hair in a studied manner before giving him an approval nod.

"Much better. She's going to be impressed."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco tried to hide the blush on his cheeks, but Narcissa wasn't fooled. It was obvious she had been talking to Lucius.

"Enjoy your date."

Draco didn't answer, fleeing the room in a hurry. He knew his parents had the best intentions, but he was uncomfortable with them being so interested in his date. Even he wasn't entirely sure about what was going to happen. He passed his father at the foot of the stairs. Lucius was carrying a bouquet of flowers for his wife, as was his custom of late. It was not lavish or overly large, but these flowers had been grown by him and were all the more precious for that.

Lucius winked at him before heading upstairs, and Draco took one last breath before preparing to disappear. He was going to need all the luck in the world.

OOO

Orchab Garden appeared to be a simple greenhouse, but Draco knew better than to be fooled by appearances, as disguising magic could be deceptive.

He realized he was really nervous. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He wanted it to go well. He wanted to please Astoria. He wanted... he didn't know how to put it, but he wanted to prolong that pleasant feeling that flooded his chest every time he was by her side.

He recognized the sound of the young woman's footsteps and turned to greet her. Astoria was wearing a robe that resembled a muggle dress. This was the latest fashion among some of the younger witches, and many of the more traditional witches and wizards shook their heads in discontent.

Draco thought she looked beautiful. Her smile made all his fears evaporate.

Together they entered the building, and Draco realized that his father had not been joking when he recommended this place. Orchab Garden was not a simple greenhouse; it was a collection of gardens and ponds crisscrossed by bridges and surrounded by the most wonderful plants. It was beautiful and bright.

It was romantic.

Astoria and he wandered aimlessly, losing themselves in the paths and avenues. She looked around with her mouth open.

"I would never have expected something like this. It's beautiful, Draco."

"I'm glad you think that. I wasn't sure if you'd like it for a first date." he tried to joke, but a note of nervousness crept into his voice. Astoria gave him an understanding smile.

"Actually, I just wanted to be alone with you to get to know you better," she confessed shyly.

"I'm all yours. Ask whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" Astoria gave him a mocking look. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green," he answered without thinking.

"Slytherin Green?" now her voice sounded sarcastic.

"It's not just that. Green is also a symbol of life. Look around you, everything is green," Draco tried to defend himself awkwardly, but Astoria's laughter disarmed him. "And what is your favorite color?"

"I'm partial to blue," Astoria's eyes flickered appreciatively to Draco's robes, and he felt a little more confident, though he was still fighting the urge to run a hand through his hair, combing it.

"Your favorite food?"

"Anything spicy. I love curry."

"I like ramen, but I can't eat it in front of my parents," Draco confessed.

"Because is rude to sip from a bowl?"

"I see you already know my parents," he smiled, and Astoria laughed.

"Do you do this very often?" she asked suddenly, a little more seriously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dating..." she realized that was a question too personal and lowered her head. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that."

"You are actually the first person I've done this with," Draco confessed, deciding to be honest.

"Really?"

"I dated Pansy when we were at Hogwarts, but it never came to anything," Draco hesitated, trying to find the right words. "We were just kids, and we'd practically grown up together. It seemed natural that we'd be together. But then... in sixth year I had other things to think about, and in seventh year I pretty much shut myself off from everyone. I wasn't fair to her, I should have explained what was going on, but..." Draco shook his head. He was still ashamed of his lack of tact, but he'd never gotten around to apologizing to Pansy for how he'd treated her.

"Are you still in contact with her?"

"Pansy was one of the few people who tried to contact me after Hogwarts. She wrote to me during my time in Azkaban, and I know she came to the trial, but I never replied. I guess I thought she would be better off without me."

"If you had the chance, would you get back together with her?"

Draco considered the question: Would he return to Pansy?

"I don't think so. We've changed a lot, and we have nothing in common. I don't think we could make each other happy."

After a few seconds of silence, Draco decided to return the question.

"What about you? Is there an ex I should be worried about?"

"I dated Blaise for a while, but it didn't work out."

"Blaise? Blaise Zabini?" Draco remembered that Blaise had gone to find Astoria at her grandfather's funeral. "What happened?"

"We were very different... and he was too controlling for my taste. I felt overwhelmed and watched all the time. He wanted us to get married, but I said no. He got very angry about that."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's not true. If I were still with him, I wouldn't be here with you," Astoria joked, weakly hitting him with her arm.

"That's true," Draco agreed, not moving away. He liked her closeness, but he didn't dare touch her yet. Maybe he could take her hand?

"But I'm worried that I've disappointed my parents with my decision. My mother thought I would be the first to get married and have children," she added, looking at the floor uncertainly.

"Isn't that something you want to do?"

"Yes, but not when I was twenty. I wanted to do something else with my life before starting a family. My grandfather was raising Daphne and me to be good businesswomen. Besides, I wouldn't be able to run the hotels if I had agreed to marry him."

They continued walking, barely glancing at the wonderful flowers around them. The conversation was much more interesting than the scenery.

"What about you? Do you want to get married and have children?"

Draco let out a nervous laugh.

"You know, that's one of those things I've always taken for granted without really thinking about it," he confessed. "I'm an only child, and I've always been expected to carry on my family's legacy."

"But do you want to do it?"

Draco thought about it. Did he want to start a family?

"I think I'm scared to think about it," he confessed. "What if my children inherit the worst of me?" glancing at Astoria he realized that she was waiting for a more concrete answer, and decided to be honest. "I would like to find someone to share my life with. I suppose that with the right person it would make a lot more sense to want to have children. But I don't think it's a good idea to force the situation or want to do it too quickly."

Astoria nodded in agreement. She looked relieved, and Draco didn't blame her. He knew that many of his former friends felt pressure from their families to marry and start a family. He had stayed out of the marriage market because no one in their right mind wanted to be related to the Malfoys at the time, and his parents were more concerned with his well-being than forcing him to find a wife. But he couldn't imagine what that experience would be like for Astoria.

That's why he was glad that they both agreed not to force anything and just get to know each other a little better. And so, he decided to be completely honest.

"I- I don't know what this date will lead to, but I want to make it clear that I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do, and I don't intend to tie you down with any marriage contract. As you said before, I just want to get to know you better," he clarified. Astoria was surprised by his words, but Draco wanted to make his intentions clear. "I also have no interest in taking you away from your job or making you give up your inheritance."

"I'm glad to hear that," she replied, feigning seriousness.

"I'm serious. I think you're very intelligent and imaginative, and I like the way you act when you're in charge of negotiations."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, you are very sexy when you get bossy."

What did I just say?

"Excuse me? Bossy?" Astoria had stopped, her wide eyes expressing her disbelief.

"I said sexy too," he joked, though he was also feeling unsure. Why had he said that? Did he want to ruin the date right from the start?

"I don't know if I like that comment, Mr. Malfoy," Astoria stretched her neck and narrowed her eyes, taking on a haughty and serious expression.

"What would you prefer I told you?" Draco smiled uncertainly, not knowing if she was joking or not. Why was so difficult to stay calm in front of her?

However, Astoria's lips trembled, trying to hold back her laughter. It was clear that she was teasing him, because she walked over to him and smiled mischievously.

"First of all, could you tell me why you decided to ask me out? I thought you were going to chicken out."

Her eyes are so beautiful.

"Do you want a detailed list?" Draco didn't move away from her, feeling his pulse quicken. Astoria licked her lips.

"With all the details."

"And wouldn't you rather know why I would ask you out on a second date?" Draco leaned slightly towards her, unconsciously, but Astoria stepped back, smiling. She seemed to be flirting with him.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, we still have to finish the first one," she reminded him mockingly. Draco raised his eyebrows.

"Are you tired yet?"

"Not at all, but we still have the whole afternoon ahead of us."

This time it was Draco who approached her, closing the distance.

"And dinner, don't forget about that," his voice sounded slightly raspy. His gaze traveled between Astoria's eyes and her lips.

I could kiss her.

"You are right. Would you like to come to my apartment?" the sudden question left Draco breathless.

"Your apartment?" he repeated, his heart racing.

"I think is fair enough. Since you've organized this trip, I'll take care of dinner," she had also glanced at his lips fleetingly. "If you like."

"We can go whenever you want," he offered. He could feel the sudden tension in the air, and he was dying to touch her. Astoria's eyes were fixed on him, her pupils dilated.

"What if I want to go now?" she whispered.

"Your wishes are my command."

OOO

Astoria's apartment was located on the top floor of her London hotel. It lacked nothing, and every room, from the kitchen to the bathroom, had been thought out and prepared down to the smallest detail. And yet, the apartment's decor was totally different from the rest of the hotel, revealing Astoria's tastes and personality. The eclectic and colorful decor was bold and cheerful, but tastefully done.

Draco wandered around, admiring the small details, trying to learn more about Astoria's personality. He was drawn to a set of framed prints depicting the ground floor plans of the hotel. They were hand-drawn, and the delicate way the lines crossed each other revealed that they had been drawn by a professional. A small metal plate read "A. Greengrass."

"Did you draw this?" he asked in amazement.

"They are the work of my grandmother; she was also called Astoria. She was a great architect, and she and my grandfather came to an agreement to build the Greengrass hotels. That's how they fell in love."

"You Greengrasses like to keep business in the family. Should I be worried?" Draco joked.

She suppressed a smile but played along with the joke.

"It depends on whether you want to spend the rest of your life working with the same person. You might get bored."

"I'd never get bored of you," his mouth was faster than his brain again, and Draco felt mortified by his words. Astoria turned bright red.

Get a hold of yourself, dammit.

As much as he had sensed the tension between the two in the garden, Draco wanted to proceed with caution. He was terrified of making a misstep that would dampen Astoria's interest.

"Do you have any more of your grandmother's designs?" he asked to cover up both their discomfort.

"I'm afraid not, they were all lost," she sighed. "My grandfather had all the plans bound in a book, and he considered it the family treasure, but he had to give it to Gellet Grindelwald during the European Wizarding War."

"Grindelwald?"

"My grandmother was in Europe, supervising the construction of a theater, when she was kidnapped by Grindelwald 's followers. She was forced to participate in the construction of Nurmergand Castle, and was imprisoned and tortured there along with many others. My grandfather attempted to rescue her, offering money in exchange for her release, but all his offers were refused. Finally, he was told that if he handed over the book with my grandmother's maps, she would be set free."

"Did they keep their word?"

"Of course not. She had died weeks before, but my grandfather didn't know. They lied to him for months, mocking him. He learned the truth when Grindelwald was defeated. He never recovered from that."

"Why was that book so important?"

"My father thinks they wanted to use it to build more prisons. My grandmother was really clever and could design the most amazing buildings. She specialised in concealment spells and labyrinthine designs that are very useful for hotels and theatres, but could also be used in concentration camps. Grindelwald may have wanted to continue using her designs when she died."

"I am very sorry about that."

"Wars are hateful. That's why my father didn't want to know anything about politics or-" Astoria bit her lip, not daring to continue. The subject of the Wizarding War in England was a delicate matter for them. Draco didn't want to insist either.

"You mentioned dinner earlier. Do you have any preferences in mind?" he knew it wasn't the most ingenious change of conversation, but it did the trick to cheer Astoria up.

"The hotel restaurant has a chef specializing in Asian food. Do you fancy some?"

They ordered dinner and within minutes a couple of elves had set the table for the two of them, serving them a variety of dishes. Their conversation became lively again, and Draco relaxed. He was happy to be with Astoria again, and even joked with her as he struggled not to drop his chopsticks. He dared to do in front of her what he would never have done in front of his parents.

As he grew more confident, his reservations began to fade. He made jokes and laughed at himself. He didn't care that he wasn't perfect. He wasn't offended if she laughed at him. And although he still wanted to kiss her, just making her laugh made him feel immensely happy.

It's like being at home.

He was so relaxed was he that he acted without thinking. In an effort not to stain himself, he removed his robes and rolled up his sleeves, as he would have done in his own home if he had been alone. And inevitably, Astoria's gaze fell on his bruised arm.

"For Merlin's sake! Did you hurt yourself? Are you in pain? Do you want me to get you some ice?"

Embarrassed, Draco took a few seconds to answer. He didn't know what to do, and he clumsily tried to cover the bruise with his hand.

"It's not a blow, this is... it's the Mark. What's left of it," he studied Astoria's expression, uncertain and anxious. Her eyes widened as she realized what he meant, and she seemed uncomfortable too.

"I didn't know that... I thought that it disappeared."

"The curse that caused it is permanent. There is no way to undo it, and if there is, the healers don't seem very interested in finding it," Draco rested his arm on his lap, hiding it away. He felt Astoria's eyes on him, and he forced himself to look at her. He had to be brave. He had to face his past.

"You can ask about it if you want. It's not like it's a secret. Everyone knows what happened."

She hesitated, unsure, but putting the chopsticks aside she again fixed her green eyes on him.

"Why did you do it?" she whispered. "Why did you get involved in all that?"

Draco exhaled a bitter, mirthless laugh.

"Because I was a conceited fool. I thought I could redeem my family name. I thought I could do better than my father. Obviously, I didn't."

"I remember when you came to Hogwarts that year. You seemed so proud of yourself. Then... everything changed. You wasted away. Daphne told me she thought you were going to end badly, but she never wanted to explain why."

"She wasn't wrong. You know what my mission was, don't you? To kill Dumbledore. As if that were possible," Draco gave a bitter laugh. "Of course, at first, I thought it would be easy. My aunt and everyone else kept saying that Dumbledore was only a man, and he must have some weakness. But everything I tried failed, and I only hurt more people," Draco shook his head. "And it wasn't just that. He was in our house. He lived there, you know? My parents were there with him. My father was released from Azkaban, but it was almost worse. At least in prison he couldn't hurt him. He couldn't leave the manor, and he was always under surveillance. My mother decided to stay with him. She could have left, but she didn't, and I knew from her letters that any wrong move-"

Draco tried to take a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it was too late. Memories flooded his mind, bringing back the nightmares he tried so hard to forget.

"The Manor became their base of operations, and everyone came and went as they pleased. They brought people home, those they considered traitors. They tortured them for fun. Sometimes they killed them before the snake ate them, but not always. And Greyback was always there. My aunt kept him in line, but we all knew that could change at any moment."

"Draco-"

"And I couldn't leave Hogwarts, I had to continue with the mission, I had to... I had to do it. It was the only way, do you understand?" his voice trembled as much as his hands, and his vision became blurred. "At Christmas I was able to return, and I saw what my mother hadn't told me in her letters. The remains of blood on the floor. The mass grave in the garden. The screams coming from the werewolf camp. And the damn snake following my mother everywhere."

His breathing was getting more labored, and tears were beginning to fall down his cheeks. Draco wiped his eyes violently, but he didn't stop talking. He couldn't stop talking anymore.

"I knew I had very little time left. He had been very clear, I only had one year to complete my mission. And I tried, I tried as hard as I could. And I managed to fix the damn cupboard, and let them into Hogwarts. And when I saw that Dumbledore was coming back, I went for him. But I couldn't... I couldn't..."

Draco's mind went back to the Astronomy Tower. Professor Dumbledore on the floor, talking quietly, offering him a lifeline. The futile hope that everything might be okay. And his arm, refusing to stay raised. The temptation to say yes, to be safe. He could save his mother, maybe his father too. And then the door to the tower opened and there was no turning back. He couldn't escape, not with Bellatrix urging him on and the others watching. He had to do it; he had to become a killer. He had to live the rest of his life suffering his mother's look of resignation and his father's shame.

But Snape came along, and he took over. And there was no turning back.

Draco put a hand to his chest. He was having trouble breathing. His heart was racing, and he was gasping for air. Astoria ran to his side, forcing him to bend his body, putting his head between his legs.

"Calm down, take a deep breath. It's okay," her voice came from far away, and her hand caressed his back in circles. Draco listened to her repeating soothing phrases but it was no use. And then he burst into tears, and his body shook with his sobs.

Images from the past kept running through his mind, wrapped in a sense of guilt. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, crying inconsolably, with Astoria kneeling beside him, trying to comfort him.

When he finally managed to calm down, he felt totally embarrassed. He couldn't believe he had lost control like that. Stuttering an excuse, he went to the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at his reflection and knew he had messed up. His swollen eyes and face covered in red spots were the least of it. His past actions would forever tarnish his name. There was no possibility of a future for him.

He decided to finish as soon as possible and left the bathroom, ready to apologize to Astoria and return home. The only thing he could do now was to free her from his presence. But she was waiting for him with her arms crossed and a look of serious determination on her face.

"I know you're not in the best condition to hear this, but I don't want you to leave without listening one thing."

"Astoria-"

"No, you have to listen to me. I understand what you've told me, I understand your pain and your fear. I know you didn't make the best decision, and I know you still bear the consequences of your actions. But you should know that you weren't the only one."

"What?"

"Draco, one of your main flaws is that you think you're the center of the world and you don't notice what's around you. And when you were at Hogwarts you were even worse. I've already told you that I remember when you came back that summer, so proud of being a Death Eater. Everyone around you knew it."

"I know, I-"

"And everyone envied you and wanted to be like you," she interrupted him.

"What do you mean?"

"Daphne and I listened to them talk; about how unfair it was that you had been chosen to carry the Mark when your father had failed. How any of them would have been better suited for the job. And when the pendant thing happened... we knew it was your doing. They were all laughing at you behind your back. They said that even the most useless would have finished the mission before you."

"I didn't know."

"Your friends had no problem making fun of you and your failures. They said that when you were punished, they would show up to receive the Mark in your place and finish the job."

Draco didn't know what to say. Just as Astoria had said, he had been so focused on his mission that he had ignored what was going on around him.

"When the Battle of Hogwarts started and we were evacuated, I went back with Daphne to help. And we had to fight against our own classmates. I saw Theodore Nott use Unforgivable Curses that night, and the others were not far behind. But when it was all over, only you and your family were punished."

"Everyone else had died."

"Not all of them, and there was not much investigation. But your family was the perfect scapegoat. You were the public face of the dark side of the war. Your trial was exemplary and silenced the voices of vengeance. But no one else suffered similar consequences, even though they deserved it."

Astoria stared at him, her cheeks flushed.

"What I mean, Draco, is that even though you took the wrong path, you suffered your punishment, and you have the right to get your life back on track. You don't deserve to be punished for the rest of your existence."

"And how do you know I don't deserve punishment?"

"Look at you! You still carry the guilt. You never stop regretting it. You punish yourself more than others punish you. I told you that at Hogwarts I was afraid of you, but I'm not afraid now. Because I think you're a different person."

"How do you know?"

"Because the Draco Malfoy of the past would never have felt guilty about his actions. Because you would have continued to act as if nothing had happened. Because you would have bragged endlessly. And yet, you regret it. You regret being forced to try to kill a man who was dying anyway. None of the others regret it or seek to change their behavior, but you do."

Astoria took a step towards him.

"I don't think you're evil, Draco, and I don't think you'll fall back into your old ways either," she added softly. "Stop punishing yourself."

Draco was grateful for her words, but he still didn't want to believe her. It was hard for him to accept that he deserved forgiveness. If he did, the screams from his nightmares wouldn't come back to him every night.

"I- I have to go home."

"Draco-"

"Thank you so much for coming today. It's been-" Draco choked on his words. He felt like it was impossible to highlight the good parts of the date considering how it had ended. "Take care of yourself."

And evading Astoria and her attempts to hold him back, Draco walked out the door and fled.

Sometimes things don't go the way you want them to. Even the best of dates can end in failure.

Has Draco been too honest? Can this situation be fixed?

Don't forget to comment and vote!